Any gaming magazines worth subscribing to these days?

[Somnia]

I miss printed news media, been thinking about it a lot lately. The last magazine I subscribed to was Vita Mag, it was a lovely independent publication that - as the name implied - just centered around the little handheld that could. Prior to that I was subscribed to Game Informer and I'd pick up whatever magazines I could find at garage sales and what not.

As far as current stuff goes, are ya'll into anything? I know pretty much every major publication has bowed out of the space or switched to all digital but that a handful of retro-focused independent magazines exist. Anyone know if they're worth a damn?

 

[Stookymalarkey]

I haven't seen any on the magazine rack here in Canada in years. I didn't even know there were still some independent ones out there. The internet's ability to get articles out ASAP for info craving games has taken a lot of the luster from print media for better or worse.

 

[INTIMIDAT3R]

Gaming magazines I miss...

MEGA Play
Electronic Gaming Monthly
GamePro
GameFan
Game Informer

 

[RGM4646]

The app name 'Readly' (IOS and Android) has a few decent magazines.

 

[RageBurner]

Here we had a curious case: the 16 bit wars raged ferociously, as it did everywhere else, and with the Mega Drive/SNES divide that existed, so too there were two famous specialist magazines back in the day, Super Game (Sega) and Game Power (Nintendo).

Growing up with Sega, obviously Super Game was a common read for me, but as time passed, the two magazines combined into Super Game Power.

The coverage became wider, but I hated the merger because the reviews had an obvious pro Nintendo bias from that point on.

 

[Waffles]

I miss reading magazines, but I believe their time is long over.

People would subscribe to weekly (or even monthly) publications with the expectation that that info couldn't be found anywhere else, and that's simply no longer the case.

 

[χKai]

I haven't read gaming mags since EGM was called Electronic Gaming Monthly.

 

[Skeetos]

These magazines kinda died out around like 2019 going into 2020. I used to be subscribed to whatever one came with the Gamestop power subscription. Last one I got was one with a cover obviously referencing Red Dead Redemption 2 but never actually featured it in the magazine. I've always been intrigued by these but was never a subscriber of the well known ones. The 90's I wasn't born yet and I was very young in the 2000's so I never got a chance to be a part of that heyday.

 

[Somnia]

I haven't seen any on the magazine rack here in Canada in years. I didn't even know there were still some independent ones out there. The internet's ability to get articles out ASAP for info craving games has taken a lot of the luster from print media for better or worse.

Yea it is an entirely pointless/redundant medium at this point, but thankfully I have nostalgia for it. There is merit in the sense that much like a random frontpage Youtube recommendation you can be clued into something new-to-you that you may have never come across otherwise.

Retro Gamer is one I commonly see brought up, which as the name suggests is an older school style magazine specifically about all things retro.

 

[Clippy]

I know that there's still a gaming mag limping along in my neck of the woods but let's face it - gaming journalism cratered and got replaced with independent creators like peeps on Youtube or our very own enterprising writers.

 

[χKai]

I know that there's still a gaming mag limping along in my neck of the woods but let's face it - gaming journalism cratered and got replaced with independent creators like peeps on Youtube or our very own enterprising writers.

And half of them talk out of their ass, not knowing the very subject they're preaching lectures about.

I don't claim to know the ins and outs of programming, but you also don't see me giving a sermon on how mappers work or what EPROM is.

 

[Skeetos]

And half of them talk out of their ass, not knowing the very subject they're preaching lectures about.

I don't claim to know the ins and outs of programming, but you also don't see me giving a sermon on how mappers work or what EPROM is.

I've recently grown tired of the Video Essay format that's become so popular on YouTube. It's mostly dudes who have the hottest take known to man trying to drum up engagement or the most vanilla, inoffensive take ever that has been regurgitated over 20 years. Every once in a while I find a good one though. I blame the Horror community for popularizing long video format.

 

[Reakyunn411]

Unrelated but i love your Yuna pfp

 

[Clippy]

And half of them talk out of their ass, not knowing the very subject they're preaching lectures about.

You're not wrong there. If anything you're probably generous with your estimate. But the ones who know what's what are a joy to listen to and I think both of us know that they'd never be hired to write for a 'serious' publication.

 

[χKai]

You're not wrong there. If anything you're probably generous with your estimate. But the ones who know what's what are a joy to listen to and I think both of us know that they'd never be hired to write for a 'serious' publication.

I tend to be a bit on the generous side

Maybe too nice, tbh. But I also love watching those people who do know what they're talking about, such as this guy:

 

[rexfenix]

I used to love gaming magazines back in the 90s and 00s but I gradually stopped caring about them in the 2010s. Some friends of mine still had a few they'd show me, but the internet replaced mags for me around that time. I had gaming websites and forums with nonstop discussions about releases, leaks, guides, codes, videos, anything I could want.
Now, don't get me wrong. There's plenty of stuff I'd like to complain about the modern gaming media landscape, journalism in particular, but it wasn't all sunshine and rainbows back then either. There was A LOT of bias and also downright misinfo sometimes. I used to read a lot of the unofficial, independent stuff and even they would get crazy sometimes. I think it's the nature of the business though. Hard to have serious journalism when the medium itself is so heavily commercialized.
Well, at least back then the stuff was written by people and not machines. And some of them even cared about it sometimes.

 

[bjork]

I was in an Barnes & Noble recently and saw that Retro Gamer is still on the rack, but I think it was $15.99? I've enjoyed some issues in the past but even understanding that prices rise on things, that's out of my price range. Perhaps a subscription is cheaper, but I'm not sure by how much.

 

[What's His Face]

I miss gaming magazines. Reading gaming news on my phone while taking a massive dump just isn't the same as holding a gaming magazine while burning odorous sludge from the pits of Hell spew forth from my...uhh...what are we talking about again?

 

[VodkaEnergee]

I miss reading magazines, but I believe their time is long over.

People would subscribe to weekly (or even monthly) publications with the expectation that that info couldn't be found anywhere else, and that's simply no longer the case.

Their time isn't over. Just look at this website for example, with the Articles, Reviews, Things folk share on here. It just like those Magazines. Just think of all the other stuff folk share and discover, but put them as comments or videos on other Social Media Outlets. I had wrote something to user: OWG. About something like this. To put short. There are all types of people here with passion, that know all sort of things. We could inspire folk here to create such physical media like Game Magazines. Even promote them here, give advice and show past Mag examples, to help develop their new ones. Independent Works. It does not have to be for pay subscription. Just for the Love, Respect, Care for the Art. For informing others on all types of things. Truthfully, which is beyond very much needed now. Remember what things folk share on here. This is the whole point of the Past and learning from it. To see what was, how it was handled, what can be done to better it aka quality of life changes... Youtube and other folk here can help with how to put books together.

All that is needed is Push, Guidance, Stable Foundation, Leadership. And the other things I've said before, when speaking about Her aka Art. All the stuff is laid out on the Endless Plentiful Table for you all to work with. Y'all may just need help recognizing it, knowing how to go about it, how to handle and work with it. Never say it over when folk like you all still exist, and very strong. Don't disrespect y'all selves that way. I've seen and heard many do this, who have spirit and passion and more. They just don't know what they speak or hear it to know that's what they speak, because of no guidance, or introduction to grander thought. This website is a powerful place, not tainted. Many great things can be birthed here.


Could have things in there like the old Video Game Cheat Code Books, or other similar things:

What are your and others who read this, thoughts on this?

 

[Somnia]

I miss reading magazines, but I believe their time is long over.

People would subscribe to weekly (or even monthly) publications with the expectation that that info couldn't be found anywhere else, and that's simply no longer the case.

Of course their time within the mainstream is over, but there are always hobbyists willing to keep certain things alive if for no reason other than nostalgia.

I was in an Barnes & Noble recently and saw that Retro Gamer is still on the rack, but I think it was $15.99? I've enjoyed some issues in the past but even understanding that prices rise on things, that's out of my price range. Perhaps a subscription is cheaper, but I'm not sure by how much.

Yea single issues are about $15 but subscribing gets you issues at around $8-9 a pop which is a bit more reasonable. If you spring for digital only then you're paying $4-5.

 

[χKai]

Of course their time within the mainstream is over, but there are always hobbyists willing to keep certain things alive if for no reason other than nostalgia.

Reminds me of those guys who live alone with all their nazi paraphernalia.

 

[ATenderLad]

Adding to the chorus of "Not really", but the interest in magazines and this forum put me on a tangent:

I'm sure everyone has their own reasons for participating in a space like this, but I wonder how much of it is the urge to find something written by actual people. Web searches turn up AI generated responses, and social media is drowning in bots. How much are folks aching for something real?

....damn, I know that's a lyric, but I can't remember to which song.

 

[χKai]

Adding to the chorus of "Not really", but the interest in magazines and this forum put me on a tangent:

I'm sure everyone has their own reasons for participating in a space like this, but I wonder how much of it is the urge to find something written by actual people. Web searches turn up AI generated responses, and social media is drowning in bots. How much are folks aching for something real?

....damn, I know that's a lyric, but I can't remember to which song.

Personally, I struggle to find communties where I have anything in common with the majority, and when I do, they are oft riddled with toxic individuals who ruin the experience for everyone they are able. So I came because I wanted to make friends with like-minded interests who wouldn't judge me for being a hardcore gamer in their mid 30s.

 

[Forthias]

I know that there's still a gaming mag limping along in my neck of the woods but let's face it - gaming journalism cratered and got replaced with independent creators like peeps on Youtube or our very own enterprising writers.

The quality of the reviews and the clear bias also didn't help. They kinda killed themselves off

 

[rexfenix]

Adding to the chorus of "Not really", but the interest in magazines and this forum put me on a tangent:

I'm sure everyone has their own reasons for participating in a space like this, but I wonder how much of it is the urge to find something written by actual people. Web searches turn up AI generated responses, and social media is drowning in bots. How much are folks aching for something real?

....damn, I know that's a lyric, but I can't remember to which song.

I'm just glad to be using a forum again. All the ones I used to frequent have died or become useless for over a decade now. Replacing them with places like reddit and discord was a mistake. The internet has become a monolith.
I just want things to go back to the way they used to be. It was fractured but way more interesting.